Shredder auto feed system

Abstract

A shredder has cutter elements for destroying articles (paper) and a feed mechanism for advancing paper from a stack in a tray into cutters for shredding. The feed mechanism has a feed member provided adjacent to the tray with an elastic arm for engaging and disengaging the stack. The feed member rotates in a feeding direction about an axle, with the elastic arm elastically deforming to apply pressure to feed paper atop the stack to the cutters. The elastic arm can include a protruding tip that is inserted into the stack. The tray includes a curved feed bed to assist in feeding paper into the cutters and deforming the elastic arm. A pivot arm can also move the feed member relative to the tray (e.g., vertically). A disengagement mechanism can hold the feed mechanism in an inoperable feeding position when a drawer or tray is moved into an open position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A shredder comprising:
 a housing; 
 a shredder mechanism received in the housing and including a motor and cutter elements, the motor rotating the cutter elements in an interleaving relationship for shredding articles fed therein; 
 a tray for holding a stack of articles to be fed into the cutter elements; 
 a movable feed mechanism positioned above the tray, the movable feed mechanism comprising at least one rotatable feed member with at least one elastic arm extending therefrom, the at least one rotatable feed member positioned adjacent to the tray for engaging and disengaging the at least one elastic arm with the stack; and 
 a feed driver system constructed to drive the at least one feed member to rotate in a feeding direction with the at least one elastic arm thereof rotating with the at least one feed member and elastically deforming during its rotation to apply pressure to feed articles atop the stack to the cutter elements. 
 
     
     
       2. The shredder according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one elastic arm comprises a protruding tip, wherein the protruding tip is configured for insertion into the stack of articles as the at least one elastic arm applies pressure to the articles atop the stack during rotation of the at least one feed member. 
     
     
       3. The shredder according to  claim 2 , wherein the movable feed mechanism further comprises a pivot arm for moving the feed member between a lowered position for engaging the stack to feed articles and a raised position for disengaging from the stack during rotation of the at least one feed member, and wherein the protruding tip of the at least one elastic arm is configured exert greater pressure on the stack via driving the protruding point into the stack of articles and against an opposing surface of the tray as the pivot arm is moved between the lowered position and the raised position. 
     
     
       4. The shredder according to  claim 3 , wherein the driver system comprises a driver for moving the pivot arm between the lowered and raised positions and a rotary driver mounted to the at least one feed member for rotation. 
     
     
       5. The shredder according to  claim 1 , wherein the movable feed mechanism comprises two feed members adjacent to the tray, each feed member having one elastic arm, the two feed members mounted on an axle and the feed driver system comprising a driver for rotating the axle to drive the two feed members to rotate in the feeding direction with their elastic arms elastically deforming to apply pressure to feed articles atop the stack to the cutter elements. 
     
     
       6. The shredder according to  claim 5 , wherein each elastic arm comprises a protruding tip for insertion into the stack of articles as the feed members rotate in the feeding direction. 
     
     
       7. The shredder according to  claim 1 , wherein the movement of the movable feed mechanism is activated using a device selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, electromechanical sensor, and switch. 
     
     
       8. The shredder according to  claim 1 , wherein the tray includes a curved feed bed curved upwardly and forwardly towards the shredder mechanism to assist in feeding articles in a forward and upward direction into the shredder mechanism. 
     
     
       9. The shredder according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one feed member is configured to compress during rotation about its axis in the feeding direction as it contacts the curved feed bed to feed articles into the shredder mechanism. 
     
     
       10. The shredder according to  claim 1 , further comprising a drawer configured for sliding movement relative to the shredder mechanism between an open position away from the shredder mechanism and a closed position adjacent to the shredder mechanism, and wherein the tray is provided within the drawer and configured for movement therewith. 
     
     
       11. The shredder according to  claim 10 , further comprising a disengagement mechanism provided adjacent to the movable feed mechanism for holding the at least one feed member in an inoperable feeding position away from the tray when the drawer is in the open position. 
     
     
       12. The shredder according to  claim 11 , wherein the drawer comprises a guide channel for directing movement of the at least one feed member into the inoperable feeding position during movement of the drawer from the closed position to the open position. 
     
     
       13. The shredder according to  claim 11 , wherein the disengagement mechanism is configured for movement between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the disengagement mechanism is in an extended position when the drawer is in the open position, and wherein the disengagement mechanism is configured to hold the at least one feed member in the inoperable feeding position away from the tray when the drawer is moved into the open position. 
     
     
       14. The shredder according to  claim 10 , further comprising a safety switch for detecting if the drawer is moved to the open position, the safety switch being coupled to the shredder mechanism and constructed and arranged to prevent operation of the cutter elements when the drawer is in the open position. 
     
     
       15. The shredder according to  claim 1 , wherein the shredder further comprises a deflector device with a deflecting surface provided above the shredder mechanism that is configured to deflect and direct articles fed by the at least one feed member into the shredder mechanism. 
     
     
       16. The shredder according to  claim 1 , wherein the shredder further comprises a waste bin for receiving articles from the cutter elements. 
     
     
       17. The shredder according to  claim 1 , wherein the movable feed mechanism is further positioned adjacent to the shredder mechanism. 
     
     
       18. A method for advancing articles into cutter elements for shredding comprising:
 providing a tray for holding a stack of articles for feeding into the cutter elements; 
 providing a movable feed mechanism above the tray to advance articles into the cutter elements, the movable feed mechanism comprising at least one rotatable feed member with at least one elastic arm extending therefrom, the at least one rotatable feed member positioned adjacent to the tray for engaging and disengaging the at least one elastic arm with the stack; 
 providing a shredder mechanism with cutter elements positioned on parallel shafts; 
 rotating cutter elements in an interleaving relationship on the parallel shafts for shredding articles fed therein; and 
 driving the movable feed mechanism in a feeding direction to feed articles to the cutter elements from atop the stack of articles in the tray into the rotating cutter elements, wherein the driving comprises rotating the at least one rotatable feed member in a feeding direction with the elastic arm thereof rotating with the at least one feed member and elastically deforming during its rotation to apply pressure to feed articles atop the stack to the rotating cutter elements. 
 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the at least one elastic arm comprises a protruding tip, and wherein the method further comprises inserting the protruding tip into the stack of articles as the at least one elastic arm applies pressure to the articles atop the stack during rotation of the at least one feed member. 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the movable feed mechanism further comprises a pivot arm for moving the feed member between a lowered position for engaging the stack to feed articles and a raised position for disengaging from the stack during rotation of the at least one feed member, and wherein the method further comprises: driving the movable feed mechanism between the lowered position for engaging the stack and the raised position for disengaging the stack during the rotation of the at least one feed member, wherein the protruding tip of the at least one elastic arm exerts greater pressure on the stack of articles via driving the protruding point into the stack of articles and against an opposing surface of the tray as the pivot arm is driven between the lowered position and the raised position. 
     
     
       21. The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the movable feed mechanism comprises two feed members adjacent to the tray, each feed member having one elastic arm, the two feed members mounted on an axle and the feed driver system comprising a driver for rotating the axle, and wherein the method comprises: rotating the two feed members in the feeding direction with their elastic arms elastically deforming to apply pressure to feed articles atop the stack to the cutter elements. 
     
     
       22. The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the tray includes a curved feed bed curved upwardly and forwardly towards the shredder mechanism to assist in feeding articles in a forward and upward direction into the shredder mechanism, and wherein the rotating of the at least one feed member further comprises: compressing the at least one feed member during rotation about its axis in the feeding direction as it contacts the curved feed bed to feed articles into the shredder mechanism. 
     
     
       23. The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising providing a drawer configured for sliding movement relative to the shredder mechanism between an open position away from the shredder mechanism and a closed position adjacent to the shredder mechanism, wherein the tray is provided within the drawer and configured for movement therewith, and wherein the method further comprises: detecting if the drawer is in the open position, and stopping or preventing operation of the cutter elements if the drawer is in the open position. 
     
     
       24. The method according to  claim 23 , further comprising using a disengagement mechanism provided adjacent to the movable feed mechanism to hold the at least one feed member in an inoperable feeding position away from the tray when the drawer is in the open position. 
     
     
       25. The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising deflecting and directing articles fed by the at least one feed member into the shredder mechanism using a deflector device with a deflecting surface provided above the shredder mechanism. 
     
     
       26. The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising activating the driving of the movable feed mechanism using a device selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, electromechanical sensor, and switch.